Playing-ball.



No- 737,773. PATENTBD SEPT. 1, 1903.'

F. H. RICHARDS. PLAYING BALL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented September I, 1903.

FRANCIS II. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

PLAYING-BALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,773, datedSeptember 1, 1903. Application filed December 4, 1902. Serial No.133,828. (No model.)

' To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPlaying-Balls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to playing-balls; and

its objects are to increase the flying power and reduce the costthereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a part-sectional View of agolf-ball embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is an enlarged segment ofthe ball. Fig. 3 illustrates the filling or body of the ball.

In the several views similar parts are designated by similar charactersof reference.

For the center piece of the ball I employ a small sphere 1, preferablyof hard springy plastic material, such as celluloid. Upon this centerpiece I wind simultaneously in miscellaneous directions strips 2 of rawrubber or caoutchouc and strips 3 of cured sheetrubber layer over layerto form the filling4 of the ball, and upon this filling I place a shell5 of hard springy plastic material, preferably gutta-percha andpreferably holding the filling under compression.

In winding the filling 2, Which forms the principal part of the body ofthe ball in the illustrated construction, I preferably employ inconnection with the raw-rubber strips or layers a thin sheeting ofacid-cured rubber 2-that is, rubber which has been changed from thecrude to a usable state by a wellknown acid process as distinguishedfrom the more common process of mixing raw rubber with sulfur and thensubjecting the mixture to heat. Specimens of acid-cured rubber are thecommercial surgeons rubber or dental dam. This contains little or noforeign dead mixture which would impair its strength or elasticity, andit is much stronger than rubber which is vulcanized by being first mixedwith sulfur and then heated, and hence performs an important function inmy improved ball, because it withstands great strain.

Preferably the strips 2 and 8 are Wound ooincidently, as illustrated atFig. 3, although the layers of caoutchouc and cured rubber may beotherwise applied. Each layer or strip is wound under tension.Preferably the tension of the cured strip 3 is much greater than that ofthe raw strip 2, although this relation may be reversed. The latter isnaturally adhesive and gummy, and hence serves to bind together thelayers of relativelyinadhesive cured rubber, whereby is produced asphere which is tenacious throughout and of great value in a ball forgolf and other games. Moreover, owingto the general packing action dueto the longitudinal tension of both kinds of rubber strip, the gummycaoutchouc is caused to flow laterally to a sufficient extent to fill upall of the crannies caused by the overlapping of the windings, and hencethe sphere is rendered not only highly tenacious, but also absolutelysolid throughout, which is a feature of great importance. Again, thecaoutchouc, by reason of its elasticity enhanced by its tension,contributes materially to the excellent quality of the ball. It is arelatively inexpensive material, and because of its use other economiesare efiected in the production of the ball. The outer windings, it willbe understood, pack the inner layers in a most effectual manner. It willbe perceived that owing to the solidity of a ball thus formed subsequentlateral flow of either rubber sheet or strip becomes impossiblethat is,such flow as would occur at the unconfined edges of an ordinary plate ofrubber when subjected to pressure and hence any further distortion ofthe rubber when the ball is struck can occur only in directionlongitudinally of the strips, and since this is already highly tensionedthe ball exhibits phenomenal flying power, Moreover, the described ballof solid windings is so hard and so highly tensioned as not to be undulyaffected by a light blow, rendering the ball also excellent for putting.It will be understood that thin sheeting of acidcured rubber may beemployed, since this quality or kind of rubber stands very great stressWithout breaking.

In using the term acid process herein I mean to distinguish from thatvulcanizing process which consists of mixing sulfur incchanically withrubber and then subjecting the mixture to heat, said acid processinvolving the surface treatment or immersion of the raw-rubber sheet ina suitable bath-as, for

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instance, in a bath consisting of a mixture of dichloridof sulfur andcarbon disulfid.

The highly-tensioned sheeting of each kind of rubber has not only theadvantage of being extremely elastic and not only packs closely layerupon layer'to form a solid ball, but it will also be seen that becauseof its thinness a great number of layers can be compacted within theallotted space, and since each layer is independently tensioned a largeamount of power is stored up on the ball. Again, by using approximatelypure cured rubber and raw rubber in forming the body the golf-ball isrendered buoyant in water, so that if accidentally driven into a lake orstream it can be readily located and recovered. r

The gutta-percha shell 3 may, if desired, be formed of hemisphericalsegments, which are preferabl y welded upon the filling 2 under heat andpressure. The filling is completed by winding on enough of the rawcaoutchouc to form a complete adhesive envelop 6 for effectually bindingthe cover. to the filling.

The center piece 1 may be made of other material within the scope of mypresent improvements, and my novel filling or body may be used withother covers than that illustrated. Other kinds of cured rubber may beused in connection with the caoutchouc. It will also be understood thatacid-cured rubber, which has greater strength and elasticity thanheat-cured rubber or vulcanite, may be used in connection with thelatter in the manner herein described with reference to acidcured andraw rubber, and the windings of heat-cured rubber may be under lesstension or softer than the acid-cured rubber.

Since all of the features herein described may not be claimed in asingle patent, some of them will be divided out and presented inseparate applications.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a playing-ball, asphere consisting of windings of cured rubber and caoutchouc.

2. In a playing-ball, a sphere consisting of layers of cured rubber andcaoutchouc in alternation, the cured rubber being in a tense condition.y

3. In a playing-ball, a sphere consisting of numerous layers of tensecured rubber and tense caoutchouc.

4:. In a playing-ball, a sphere consisting of numerous tense windings ofcured rubber mingled with caoutchouc, the latter adhering to said curedrubber, so that the sphere is tenacious throughout.

5. Inaplaying-ball, acenter piece; asphere thereon consisting ofnumerous tense windings of cured-rubber strip mingled with tensewindings of caoutchouc strip; the whole forming a solid mass, and thecured rubber adhering to the caoutchouc.

6. A playing-ball comprising a filling and a cover; said fillingcomprising a center piece I and layers thereon of cured rubber and caoutehouc; the outermost of said layers consisting of caoutchouc, whichadheres to said cover.

7. Aplaying-ballcomprisingacenterpiece, windings of both cured rubberand raw rubber, and a layer of hard, springy plastic material adheringto said raw rubber.

8. A playing-ball comprising a sphere of hard, springy plastic material,windings of cured rubber, and windings of raw rubber; said plasticmaterial adhering to the raw rubber.

9. In a playing-ball, a sphere consisting of a hard center piece;numerous thin layers thereon of acid-cured rubber and caoutchouc inalternation, the cured rubber being in a tense condition; and a cover ofgutta-percha.

10. A playingball comprising a center piece, and a sphere thereonconsisting of numerous thin layers of tense acid-cured rubber and tensecaoutchouc in alternation.

11. In a playing-ball, a sphere consisting of numerous tense windings ofacid-cured rubber interspersed with caoutchouc, the latter adhering tosaid cured rubber, and filling the crannies made by the windings, sothat the sphere is tenacious and solid throughout; and a cover ofplastic material.

12. In a playing-ball, a center piece; numerous tense windings thereonof acid-cured rubber strip mingled with tense windings of caoutchoucstrip; the whole forming a solid mass, and the cured rubber adhering tothe caoutchouc; and a layer of gutta-percha.

13. A playing-ball comprising a filling, and a cover of plastic materialholding the same under compression; said filling comprising a centerpiece and layers thereon of tense acidcured rubber and tense caoutchoucthe outermost of said layers consisting of caoutchouc, which adheres tosaid cover.

14. A playing-ball comprising tense windings of both acid-cured rubberand raw rubber, and a gutta-percha layer adhering to said raw rubber.

15. A playing-ball comprising a sphere of celluloid, a sphere ofgutta-percha, and a sphere consisting of numerous tense windings ofacid-cured rubber mingled with layers of caoutchouc.

16. A playing ball comprising distinct spheres of hard,springy plasticmaterial,windings of acid-cured rubber, and windings of raw rubber; atleast one of said spheres adhering to the raw rubber.

17. In a playing-ball, a sphere consisting of numerous thin layers ofacid-cured rubber and caoutchouc in alternation, the cured rubber beingin a tense condition; and a cover of gutta-percha.

18. In a playing-ball, a sphere consisting of numerous tense windings ofacid-cured rubber mingled with windings of caoutchouc; and a cover ofplastic material holding said sphere under compression.

19. In a playing-ball, a center piece; a sphere thereon consisting ofnumerous tense windings of acid-cured rubber strip mingled with tensewindings of caoutchouc strip; the whole forming a solid mass, and thecured rubber adhering to the caoutchouc; and a cover of gutta-perchaholding said sphere under compression.

20. Aplaying-ball comprising acenterpiece of celluloid; coincident tensewindings thereon of acid-cured rubber and raw rubber, the latteradhering to the former and filling the crevices caused by the winding;and a cover.

21. A playing-ball comprising a filling and a cover of'gutta-perchaholding the same under compression; said filling comprising acenterpiece and layers thereon of acid-cured rubber and caoutchouc; theoutermost of said layers consisting of caoutchouc, which adheres to saidcover.

22. Aplaying-ballcomprisingacenterpiece, windings of both acid-curedrubber and raw rubber, and a gutta-percha layer adhering to said rawrubber.

23. A playing-ball comprising a sphere of gutta-percha and a sphereconsisting of numerous tense windings of acid-cured rubber mingled withlayers of caoutchouc.

24. In a playing-ball, a sphere formed of tense windings of inadhesiveelastic material mingled with windings of adherent elastic material.

25. In a playing-ball, a sphere formed of tense windings of cured rubbermingled with windings of gummy elastic material.

26. A playing-ball comprising asphere consisting of tense windings ofelastic material, mingled with windings of elastic material having lesstension.

Signed at Nos. 9 to 15 Murray street, New York, N. Y., this 3d day ofDecember, 1902.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

B; O. STIoKNnY, JOHN O. SEIFERT.

